The aim of the new company is the joint development and production of military combat vehicles in Europe. The companies had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect in Rome at the beginning of July 2024. The headquarters of Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV) will be in Rome.
The contractual partners also agreed on the establishment of an operational headquarters in La Spezia. If no objections are raised by the authorities, the parties plan to finalise the formation by January 2025. Following the spin-off, Leonardo and Rheinmetall will each hold 50 per cent of the company shares.
The main objective of the spin-off is the industrial development and subsequent marketing of the new Italian main battle tank (MBT) and the new Lynx platform for the ‘Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS)’ programme as part of the Italian Army’s land system programmes. The development and production of further vehicles in this family, such as recovery, engineering and bridge-laying vehicles, is also planned. Both partners also expect sales opportunities on international markets.
